A REFORMED football hooligan has been appointed manager of Holywell Town.

A REFORMED football hooligan has been appointed manager of Holywell Town.

Everton fan Andy Nicholls, of Mold, was banned from Goodison Park last year following the publication of his book Scally: Confessions of a Category C Hooligan, in which he chronicles his involvement in two decades of football violence in Britain and abroad.

But Nicholls, 40, this week insisted his days as a soccer thug are behind him and spoke of his determination to make a positive impact in his first season with the Wellmen.

He said: 'Anyone who's read my book will know it deals mainly with things that happened in the 1980s. That's history now and, for obvious reasons, I don't go to Goodison Park any more.

'What's important to me is making a success of Holywell Town. I love challenges and see this as a big challenge.

'The club has had a couple of years in the doldrums but hopefully I can turn that around. I'll be looking to bring in one or two players but will also be giving the lads who played here last season a chance.'

Nicholls, who hails from the Halkyn area, replaces Holywell's joint-managers Dave and Geraint Rowlands. The brothers took charge last September but the Well-men finished bottom of the Cymru Alliance.

Holywell vice-chairman Alan Moore said: 'We wish Dave and Geraint well - they did as well as they could with what they had at their disposal. Vandalism at our ground last season meant revenue streams were hit and, all in all, it was a year the club would rather forget.'

Mr Moore added: 'We've got no qualms about appointing Andy. I've spoken to him at length and I'm satisf ied about where he wants to take the club.'

Nicholls was assistant manager to player-boss Gareth Thomas at Halkyn United last season and was previously manager of the all-conquering BA Feathers team in the Deeside Sunday League.

Nicholls has drafted in ex-Halkyn centre-back Craig Knight as his assistant/player-manager.

Scally has already sold about 16,500 copies in hardback and is due out in paperback in November.

The autobiography proved a hit with readers, but officials at Everton were unimpressed and last October the club's full board of directors decided to ban Nicholls from Goodison Park for life.

The former production manager now runs a sports promotion business from premises in Mold.

* Members of the public are welcome to attend Holywell's AGM at the town's leisure centre on Monday, July 7 (7.30pm).